René Boivin in the Spotlight at Tajan

It is on the occasion of its beautiful December jewelry sale that the Auction House TAJAN honors the notorious Maison René Boivin, which has now disappeared, with very pretty pieces, some which are sold for profit of the Institut de la Vision.

The Auction House TAJAN has on board THE specialist on the Maison René Boivin, Françoise Cailles, the only one authorized to issue certificates for this historical Maison.

Françoise Cailles wrote a remarkable book in 1994 which is, unfortunately, almost impossible to acquire anymore.

A little history on the Maison Boivin:

The ambitious René Boivin, was born to a family of textile merchants, to whom his uncle was a goldsmith and metal chase and trained him. René founded the famous Maison Boivin in 1890, at the age of 26. In 1893 he relocated Rue de Turbigo and married Jeanne Poiret, the older sister of Paul Poiret who was to become the most famous and influential couturier in Paris. René Boivin's jewelry quickly reflected the influence of Haute Couture, daring and innovative, inspired by the Cubist and Art Deco trends that were emerging at that time.

In 1917, at the untimely death of René Boivin, his wife Jeanne took over the reins of the House with their daughter; Germaine Boivin and in collaboration with the soon to become famous designer; Suzanne Belperron. Their collaboration, talent and innovation contributed to the Maison Boivin's success from 1921 to 1932, and even for several years thereafter.

The Maison then relocated to Avenue de l'Opéra, where it would remain for forty years. Jeanne Boivin has always been an accomplice and participated in her husband's work but after his death, she will develop designs for the company with her own sensitivity and femininity. She likes round shapes, curves, unadorned matter and voluminous rings. Suzanne Belperron and then later, Juliette Moutard (who remained until December 27th 1970) will largely contribute to these feminine and voluptuous creations.

Most of the time, the pieces are designed for custom made orders, often reusing stones provided by customers. Customers that were not local really did have much of a say on the design... The most famous of the Maison Boivin's creations remains the starfish and the mythical chameleon that changes color if you twist it's tongue; ingenious and fun.

It should be made known that very few jewels from the Maison Boivin are signed. Indeed, Madame Boivin found it very ordinary to bear the name of a supplier! Thus, it was not until the 1950s, at the request of customers, that Boivin jewelry was signed.

Another legendary piece of jewelry from the Maison Boivin is the "Scale" bracelet, which has a particularity of including round stones with an oval setting to give more depth to the stone.

In 1959, Jeanne Boivin disappeared and the Maison was taken over by Louis Girard, who continued to produce many of the earlier models, adapting them if necessary to changes in fashion. In April 1991, the Maison Boivin was purchased by the Asprey group, who continued to produce excellent quality jewelry; inspired by earlier designs but, after the takeover of the Asprey group by Prince Jaffry, brother to the Sultan of Brunei, the Maison Boivin was forced to close it's doors forever...

This is why the rarity and the quality of the pieces presented at auction largely justify the proposed estimations. To own a jewel from the Maison Boivin or Suzanne Belperron is to own a timeless jeweled work of art.

The Tajan Auction House will also have available for sale several pieces by Van Cleef & Arpels which will remind us of the exhibition currently ongoing at the Musées des Arts Décoratifs.

The famous Panther ring by Cartier which we all dream of wearing…. Grrrrr !

This aerial set by the Swiss Jeweler Gilbert Albert for which I have a crush:

And this exceptional Flower Vase by LOMBARD circa 1950 for which each flower is a detachable and wearable jewel!